Ox-Drawn Wagon

Opened: 1976
Closed: Unknown

Illustration from the cover of a 1976 Pioneer Village brochure.

When Pioneer Village was in its original location in Salt Lake City, wagon rides powered by horses and oxen were both a popular feature. The oxen, named Ben and Lars, were trained to kneel down and “pray” at the end of each ride. After Lagoon purchased Pioneer Village and moved it to the park in the mid-’70s, the Ox-Drawn Wagon rides continued along with Stagecoach rides. Whether the same oxen and covered wagon were used is unknown.

The loading/unloading area could’ve have been on the south end of Main Street like the Stagecoach. It’s very likely that the wagon also shared the Stagecoach’s path through the town and the wooded area across Farmington Creek. References to the ride in the park’s advertising only appeared around 1976 so its hard to know exactly how long the attraction remained at Lagoon. The Ox-Drawn Wagon wasn’t listed on any maps or ride lists in the late ’80s and it was probably done away with much earlier than that.

Photo of the “famous praying oxen” in front of the Coalville Chapel at Pioneer Village in Salt Lake City.Postcard from around 1969 showing the Ox-Drawn Wagon at Pioneer Village in Salt Lake City.